The battle over infill in Ottawa has reached Rockcliffe Park, one of the city’s richest wards, pitting neighbour against neighbour.

Much like residents in Little Italy were flummoxed by the city’s decision to approve a nine-story condo on a sidestreet, Rockcliffe residents are pushing against the city’s partial approval of redevelopment at 575 Old Prospect Rd. allowing two homes on a single lot next to one of the most prominent buildings in that area – the Hart Massey House.

Susan d’Aquino, who served as assistant deputy minister of finance for 16 years, lives in the heritage home by renowned architect Hart Massey, built in 1959. He’s the same man who designed the Sir John Carling Building, which was demolished Sunday morning.

“It’s very disheartening,” said d’Aquino of the city’s vote Wednesday to approve Ottawa architect Robin Fyfe’s application. She argues it will overpower her home, an iconic example of mid-century modernist architecture. “The Hart Massey House is of great heritage significance, not just to Ottawa.

“I found it fascinating that the cultural heritage impact statement that Mr. Fyfe’s planner wrote up and submitted to the city says a primary consideration in this particular case is new houses have to respect and be sensitive to the Massey House,” said d’Aquino, who, with husband Thomas d’Aquino, a former longtime CEO of the powerful lobby group Business Council on National Issues, have called 400 Lansdowne Rd. home for 37 years.

The two released a public statement Friday in opposition to city approval, which she says thwarts the zoning rules outlined for the area as a designated heritage conservation district. Next, the Committee of Adjustment will vote Wednesday whether the division of the lot should be approved.

She said the move to approve the new size would be a first for the area.

“You take a lot that meets a minimum requirement and create a fresh two new lots that do not. That is unprecedented.”

D’Aquino said it will visually dwarf the Hart Massey House, which peeks just nine feet above the road compared to the proposed home, built on a slope and expected to stand 40 feet above that shared road.

“That height is very much out of the ordinary.”

This tension, D’Aquino said, will make it difficult for residents to welcome Fyfe. Reached Saturday evening, Fyfe said he had no comment.

According to the city’s website, all such designations must comply with the Ontario Heritage Act, “especially with regard to the alteration or demolition of any portion of the property.”

D’Aquino has the support of her ward’s councilor, Peter Clark, who was the one dissenting vote at Wednesday’s meeting approving the demolition and redesign of the 575 Old Prospect Rd residence.

At the meeting, Clark said he was upset the planning committee and city council ignored the 5-2 recommendation of the built heritage subcommittee to halt the project.

Coun. Jan Harder, who was one of the two votes in favour, said those objecting to the redevelopment missed the point of the heritage subcommittee.

“The people that came out to speak consistently went to the severance and to the fact of dividing the lots up,” Harder told council Wednesday. “They really didn’t have a discussion about the heritage qualities.”

But d’Aquino said the heritage guidelines specifically refer to space as a heritage consideration.

“One of those guidelines says the existing pattern of lot division should be protected,” she said, adding the city’s new approach to approve infill only applies to urban neighbourhoods. “(They) don’t apply in Rockcliffe because it’s considered a suburban area.”

The city adjusted that bylaw earlier this year to approve infill based on “streetscape character,” or the makeup of individual streets as the main marker for development.

The Rockcliffe Park Residents Association advocated with d’Aquino against the development.

Kathy Day, association vice-president, said it’s not a new fight with the city, and a survey from her members shows a consistent concern for building removal in the area.

“The system doesn’t seem to support us, the system being the city.”

Day echoeed d’Aquino’s assertion that Rockcliffe is different from neighbourhoods, like the Byward Market or New Edinburgh, where vintage buildings are most important to the community’s character.

“Rockcliffe Park has a slightly different nature,” she said. “It’s the landscape, the green space as well as the buildings that are important and why it was declared a heritage conservation district. It wasn’t just the buildings.”

Day said she understands that some in the city may not be sympathetic to their plight.

“I know a lot of people in Ottawa don’t particularly like Rockcliffe because they see it as just full of rich people,” she said. “Yes there is more space, but people are paying more than their fair share of the city’s taxes.

“The other thing I would say is that surely all of us, Canadians really, we want to keep some of our past, some of our heritage, and not just rip it all down and have everything looking the same. I would appeal to that side of people’s nature.”

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.